Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-18

less way of which there is no possibility Of
mistaking the meaning.
"Look!" she said, pointing.
sAh, poor man, poor man. said Mrs.
Neville. athey are bringing him here to lay
him OUT
Then Jess beautiful eyes closed, and down
she went with the bending tree. Presently
the sapling snapped, and she fell senseless
with little cry, and as she did so the men
with the corpse passed on
Two minutes afterwsrd, John Mel, having
heard the rumor Of his own death on arrival
at the camp, and greatly fearing lest it should
have got to jess ears, came cantering
hurriedIy across, and dismounting as well as
his wound would allow, hmped up the garden
path.
Great heavens, Capt. Nielin said Mrs.
Neville, looking up; "why, We thought that
you were deadp
"And that is what you have been telling
her, suppose" he said, sternly, glancing at
the pale and deathlike face; "you might have
waited till you were sure. Poor girl it must
have given her turn and STOPPING down,
he got his arms under her, and lifting her
with SOME difficulty, limped off to the house,
where he laid her down upon the table, and,
assisted by Mrs Neville, began to do all in
his power to revive her So obstinate was
her faint, however, that their efforts were
unavailng, and at last Mrs. Neville started
off to the camp to get some brandy. leaving
him to go on rubbing her hands and spring
ling water on her face
The good lady had not been gone more
thor, tur or tbraa r,,,nptoc phap Jass end.
denly opened her eyes and sat up, and then
slipped her feet to the ground. Her eyes fell
upon John and dilated with wonder, and he
thought that she was going to faint again,
for even her lips blanched, and she began to
shake and tremble all over in the extremity
of her agitation.
"Jess, jess" he said, "for Gods sake don't
look like that, you brighten mel"
81 thought you were-I thought you were
~ she said, slowly, and then suddenly burst
| into passion of tears and fell forward upon
his breast and lay there sobbing her heart
out, her brown curls resting against his face.
| 1t was an awkward position and a most
moving one. John was only man, and the
| spectacle of this strange woman, to whom
he had lately grown so much attached,
| plunged into intense emotion. awakened, ap-
| parently, by anxiety about his fate, stirred
| him deeply, as it would have stirred any
body Indeed, it struck some chord in him
| for which he could not quite account, and its
echoes charmed and yet frightened him.
What did it meant
jess, dear jess, pray stop; l can't bear to
see you cry So"
She lifted her head from his shoulder and
stood looking at him, her hand resting on the
table behind her. Her face was wet with
tears and looked like dew washed lily, and
her beautiful eyes were alight with fame
that he had never seen in the eyes of woman
before. She said nothing, but her whole face
was more eloquent than any words, for there
are times when the features can convey a
message in a language of their own that is
more subtle than any tongue we talk. There
she stood, her breast heaviHg with emotion as
| the sea heaves when the fierceness of the
storm has paSsed-a very incarnation Of the
intensest love of woman And as she stood
something seemed to pass before her eyes and
blind her, and a spirit took possession of her
that absorbed all her doubts and fears, and
she gave way to force that was of her and
yet compelled her, as, when the wind blows
the sails compel ship. And then, for the
first time, where her love was concerned, she
put out all her strength. She knew, and had
always known, that she could master
him. and force him TO regard her as she re
garded him, did she but choose. How she
knew it she could not say, but so it was. And
now she yielded to an overmastering impulse
and chose. She said nothing she did moi
even move, she only looked at him.
"Why were you in such fright about meH
he stammered.
She did not answer, but kept her eyes upon
his face, and it seemed TO John as though
power flowed from them; for, as she looked
be felt the change come. Everything melted
away before the almost spiritual intensity OF
her gaze. Bessie, honor, his engagement-al
were forgotten; the smouldering embers
broke into flame, and he knew that he loved
this woman as he had never loved any living
creature before-that he loved her even a:
she loved him. Strong man as he was ht
shook like leaf before her.
jess, he said, hoarsely, God forgive me
love your and he bent forward to kiss her
She lifted her face toward him, then sud
denly changed her mind, and laiG her hanC
upon his breast
"You forget" she said, almost solemnly
4yon going to marry Bessie"
Overpowered by a deep sense of shame, ant
by another sense of the deep calamity tina
had overtaken him, John turned and limpeC
from the house